True Love
by Graceling Katsa
Summary: Kagome is dying and all Inuyasha can do is watch. Or at least that is all that he thinks he can do. REALLY SHORT ONE SHOT! Sorry my summary sucks but I hope you like the story!


Inuyasha ran hard with Kagome, who was sleeping, on his back. She had fallen ill during their travels around the feudal era and he sought Kaede to try and heal her with her medicinal herbs. He finally approached her village and ran to her hut. He knocked on the door, one hand supporting Kagome. There was no answer.

'Damn,' Inuyasha thought. 'Why did Kaede have to go away when Kagome got sick?' He pushed open the door, not caring what people would think. He set Kagome down on a futon. She started coughing dangerously. Inuyasha's face was taken over by worry. Kagome was suffering in front of him and there was nothing he could do. He punched the floor, then said "Damn it! Hang in there Kagome!" He got up and left her to go find Kaede.

-

Kagome was in great pain. She felt like her head was going to explode from the amount of pain she had. She tried but couldn't open her eyes. 'Why?' she thought, 'Why now? We were so close to finding Naraku and then this stupid flu comes and attacks no one but me.' She was mentally losing the battle against staying conscious.

-

Kaede was in the field when Inuyasha found her. She saw the worry on his face and ran over to him.

"What is it Inuyasha? Where is Kagome, Shippo, Sango, and Miroku?" she asked hastily.

"Kagome is at your house right now. She is sick," Inuyasha said impatiently. He felt bad about leaving Kagome tormented by her sickness. "Miroku, Sango, and Shippo are on their way. They're slow as usual."

Kaede was listening intently. As she walked quickly back to her home, she asked Inuyasha what Kagome's symptoms were.

"She's been coughing a lot, her head feels like fire, and she threw up her food a couple of times." Inuyasha said, listing off what had happened until everyone had decided she was sick.

"Dearest me," Kaede said. "She has the flu. We must hurry."

Inuyasha took Kaede on his back so they could rush back. They burst through the door. Kagome was paler than she had been before Inuyasha had left.

"Kagome!" he shouted, running to her side. "Hang in there, Kaede is here to help! Please, don't die on me now."

Kagome muttered something. Inuyasha couldn't hear so he put his ear closer to her mouth. "I'm sorry. We were so close to finding Naraku, and now, because of me, we've lost him once again.'

Inuyasha pulled away and placed his hand over her mouth. "Shut up," he said, fighting back the tears. "It's not your fault. Why don't you get that?"

Kagome used what remained of her spiritual strength to force her eyelids open. She saw tears in Inuyasha's eyes and the worry on his face. "Please forgive me," she said as she closed her eyes.

"KAGOME!!!" Inuyasha yelled. Her breathing was growing fainter and she growing colder. Kaede pushed him to the side and put her ear to her breast.

"Her heart is failing," Kaede said grimly, tears falling from her eyes.

Kagome tried to fight but her strength was failing. 'Kikyo will be pleased. She will finally have Inuyasha to herself. And I never told him how I feel.' _Then tell him now, before it is too late,_ said a voice deep inside her head.

Inuyasha no longer cared who saw his tears. He picked Kagome up and held her bridal style. She was going to die. He had failed her. "Forgive me Kagome."

He was about to set her down when he heard her uttering her final words. They were even quieter than before. He had to strain to hear her words but he heard them. "I love you, Inuyasha." She finished her sentence and took no more breaths. She was gone.

-

Inuyasha fell to his knees, his heart in knots. She had loved him. 'Damn it! Why didn't I say anything for so long?' "I love you too Kagome," he said even though he knew she wouldn't hear.

-

Kagome was alone in darkness. She no longer had her family or her friends. She wanted to go back so bad but she was lost. But she heard a distant familiar voice, one that she knew before. The voice said "I love you too Kagome." and then it vanished. She knew who it was instantaneously. Inuyasha.

-

Inuyasha brought Kagome closer to him. He wanted her back, at any cost. Then, it struck him. Kikyo. Kikyo held part of Kagome's soul.

"Kaede, where did you see Kikyo last?" Inuyasha asked, his eyes ablaze with anger.

"She stopped by the village this morning, why?" Kaede said nervously. She immediately knew what he intended to do. She gave a small nod and he was gone, following the smell of graveyard soil that clung to Kikyo like a leech.

-

Miroku, Sango, Shippo, and Kirara arrived in the village a couple of hours too late. When Shippo saw Kagome's pale corpse, he started to bawl, as did Sango. No one could tell what was going on with Miroku but in his heart, he felt as if he had lost Sango. Kirara roared sadly and nudged Kagome.

"Where's Inuyasha?" Miroku asked Kaede, seeing as he was the only one able to talk at the moment.

"He went to go find Kikyo," was all Kaede had to say. Everyone knew that she held a part of Kagome's soul within her and they knew that Inuyasha intended to bring her back here so the soul would return to Kagome and she would be alright. But that was at the cost of Kikyo's life.

"Do you think he'll be able to do it?" Shippo asked quietly.

"I don't know child, I don't know," Kaede said.

-

Inuyasha found Kikyo beneath the sacred tree.

"What do you want Inuyasha? I heard Kagome has died and that you intend to use the part of her soul that keeps me alive to bring her back," Kikyo said matter-of-factly. Inuyasha didn't say a word. He wanted Kagome but he didn't want to lose Kikyo again either.

"I haven't decided yet," he said casually.

"Don't I get a say in this?" Kikyo was starting to get really pissed off at this point.

"Why should you? Kagome gave you part of her soul just so I could be happy. At first, I was happy, but then you tried to kill Kagome. I ignored it for there wasn't much that I could do because Kagome always forgave you for everything," Inuyasha said angrily. "You don't deserve to live while Kagome is dead. She is kinder than you ever were to me or anyone else. Any you know what, I love her more than I love you so you are coming with me whether you want to or not." Inuyasha took a deep breath, feeling great after venting all of his rage at Kikyo. He ran at her and picked her up under his arm and took off for Kaede's hut.

'You will live again Kagome, I promise you that.'

-

Inuyasha burst into the hut with an angry Kikyo under his right arm. He set her down in the corner and prepared his tessaiga. "I am not sorry," he said as he thrust his cold iron blade into her cold black heart.

Kaede and the others were amazed at how much Inuyasha cared for Kagome. Her soul was released and rushed to it's proper home. Kagome started to glow. Her eyes fluttered open as she sat up, groaning in pain.

Inuyasha lunged at her and embraced her passionately. When he broke apart, he gave her a quick look over to make sure that she was alright. As soon as he was satisfied, he kissed her.

It was all to much at once for Kagome and she fainted. Inuyasha held her tight as she smiled in her sleep. He snuggled her face and bit her neck. A mark in the shape of a paw print appeared where he had bitten her. She was his now, and there was nothing Kouga could do.

-

Kagome rested for a few days before fully healing. Inuyasha was there day and night, watching over her with his life. When she awoke in the middle of the night, his heart felt relieved that she was alright.

"Inuyasha," she said as he hugged her and kissed her all over.

"What is it Kagome?" worry was very noticeable in his voice.

"Thank-you," she said, kissing him back. He smiled, then picked her up and took her to the place where they had first met, beneath the shady branches of the sacred tree. The stars in the heavens seemed to shine brighter than ever before that night as they sat in each other's company. They would be together for a long time and they both knew. They stayed that way until morning, and a new day dawned upon the beginning of the rest of the rest of their lives with each other.


End file.
